


Living Well is the Best Revenge

by TheSilverHunt3r



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Aaravos is in the Mirror (The Dragon Prince), Gen, Maybe - Freeform, Wormavos - Freeform, no beta we die like men, secrets and magic, where Aaravos decides not to wage war on everyone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:53:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22232080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSilverHunt3r/pseuds/TheSilverHunt3r
Summary: A mirror with carved elvish runes would catch any young child's attention. The elf inside it even more so. AU, oneshot.
Relationships: Aaravos & Callum (The Dragon Prince), Aaravos & Ezran (The Dragon Prince), Callum & Claudia (The Dragon Prince), Callum & Ezran (The Dragon Prince), Callum & Soren (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 219





	Living Well is the Best Revenge

Summary: A mirror with carved elvish runes would catch any young child's attention. The elf inside it even more so. AU, oneshot.

I. Fate

Aaravos felt the reverberation, a ripple of a stone being thrown into a pond. It was a sign of fate.

Startouch elves could tell what was important and what was not in the grand scheme of things. They were drawn to the center of events like moths to a flame.

He pulled out a bowl and filled it with water from the pond. He muttered the spell for scrying to activate the bowl.

He watched a young boy staring intently at his key; his key was thought a human child's toy. He had been forgotten.

Matters of pride aside, this boy was important.

He just didn't know why. . . yet.

XXX

A King who was recently made a single father due to the death of his wife had little time to spend on personal matters, regardless of how much he loved his sons. Curious, isolated boys had a tendency to wander and explore. . . especially places they should not.

A mirror with carved elvish runes would catch any young child's attention. The elf inside it even more so.

"My name is Callum," the boy said, with all the politeness he could muster. He had never seen an elf before. He was surprised that so many of the stories were already wrong about them simply on appearance alone.

The elf's smile was sharper than the knives Callum had seen the castle's chefs use. Such a thought we promptly ignored due to his sheer awe over meeting an elf and all his thoughts about the mirror.

XXX

The room was cold and damp; it was deep in the castle's belly and only accessible through several hidden passages. The only light was from the mirror and a candle on the floor beside the boy's knee.

"When was the first time you met humans?" The young voice asked, high and reedy, and so lacking in caution it could easily be called trust. On the boy's ear sat a worm, purple in color; its appearance was similar to a nawab caterpillar.

There was a chuckle in reply, far deeper in tone than the boy's; a man's voice, or more accurately, an elf's. "That was a long time ago, when I was young."

"You don't look old at all," the boy blurted out. He earned a smile for the comment, but still was teased all the same.

"Would you like the answer to your question?"

Callum flushed. "Yes, Almay (Teacher)," he mumbled.

"My oldest memory of humans." Aaravos hummed as he tried to remember. "That would have to be in the Reign of the First Dragon King. Ah, and that is not because I do not remember his name that I call him that. His name is not spoken aloud out of respect for him."

"Did you like him?"

"He was fine; it was who was after the First King was the issue," Aaravos replied blandly. "But let us ignore the dragons for now, back to the story. I traveled among the coast to the great city of Elarion. It was an odd place compared to what I was used to. Elarion was the great trading post of the old days, the center of which all free humans revolved around."

Callum's eyes were wide. "What was it like?"

"The market was on every street. People filled the streets, parted only by the occasional horse or camel or elephant." The elf's voice dropped low, sounding bittersweet. "Most were humans, but a few other elves could be spotted if one knew where to look; all part of the few of us 'mankind-lovers.' Elarion burst with life of every manner and yet had not a trace of Primal Magic within her people." He sighed and closed the book he had been browsing through with a sense of finality. "Elarion is gone now, of course.

"Why? What happened?"

"The greatest Dark Mage in those day was Ziard. He was confronted by Sol Regem, who was the Second Dragon King. Ziard refused to give up Dark Magic." Aaravos leaned forward, his voice hushed; the very walls of the room seemed to draw closer in anticipation. "Sol Regem threatened to burn Elarion to the ground."

"No," the boy gasped in horror. He was clutching the sketchbook in his hands like it was the only thing keeping him alive.

"And so, they fought." Illusions formed in the elf's hands, of a man holding a staff and a giant, golden dragon. "Dragon against human. Ziard was slain in the battle. But he caused the end of Sol Regem's reign, him the shortest ruling Dragon King. Ziard. . .prevented harm to Elarion for that morning, but only until the other dragons came. Incensed by Sol Regem losing his eyes to a human, effectively crippling his ability to rule, they razed Elarion to the ground during the night."

"Why?" Callum cried, as if he could see the scene before his eyes; an entire city laid to waste by dragons.

Aaravos laughed. "There are many answers to that question. Which version depends the person telling the story."

"What's yours? Why would someone ever do that?" Callum asked, anger in his voice.

"There are many reasons on both sides for why this happened."

Frustration bubbled up in Callum's throat. He forced out, "But, how? Why?" It was a child's questioning, too naive and lacking a frame of reference for the world. For a prince that had not come face to face with the worst of humanity, the idea of what reasoning could be behind the burning of Elarion stumped him.

"If you're talking about the general sense and the morality. . .dragons are as tempted to do evil as any man or elf. No one is infallible." The elf sighed. "Perhaps that sounds too lenient considering the situation we are talking about." His tone fell into solemnity with a touch of bitter amusement, "But what I have seen in my long lifetime, is that many fancy themselves as some paragon of moral virtue and none of those really exist. It is dangerous to think of oneself or others as 'above it all'. Sol Regem is a very self-righteous dragon and he paid a price for it."

The boy was silent for a while. He struggled with those words

The elf gave a patient look. "Do you have enough to think about for now?"

Callum stood up. Before he turned to leave, he asked, "Will you ever tell me your name?"

The elf smiled. He promised, "Someday."

XXX

Callum peered at the mirror, not at the elf but what was behind the elf. "Why are you in there?"

"I'm surprised it took you so long to ask." Amusement colored the elf's voice.

Callum pouted, an adorable look considering his age. "So, why?"

Aaravos hummed and casually said, "I did some things my kin disagreed with. Because of that, I am trapped here."

XXX

A Year Later

"What are you doing?"

The boy's face started to turn pink. "Nothing, Almay (Teacher)," he muttered.

Aaravos tilted his head. The worm on the boy's knee made a similar movement. "Are you. . .drawing me?"

". . .Yes."

"Would you show me?"

The boy covered his face in embarrassment as he lifted the sketchbook to show the elf.

"This is wonderful, Callum."

"Really?"

"Yes." The elf's eyes flickered slightly. "I actually used to draw a lot myself. If you want, I could-"

"Teach me how to draw," the boy blurted out.

Aaravos looked taken aback.

"Please," Callum quickly added.

"With that much fervor, who am I to decline?" The elf wryly smiled.

XXX

The boy curled his hands into fists. There was a chance that if the elf stood in front of him, he would try to punch his teacher. "You're lying! My father would never do that!"

An eyebrow was raised in such a manner that Callum immediately felt ashamed. "I never lie," the elf stated with a quiet confidence.

The silence grew, uncomfortable and heavy. It brought with it the reminder of the dark, cold room Callum was in and the gilded cage the elf was stuck in; the stories of elves, humans, and dragons in conflict for centuries; the memories of illusions of a dragon and human mage fighting; and the list of soldiers from the border that had never come back home to Katolis.

"I'm sorry," Callum whispered. "I just. . . why? Why would he do that?"

"There is no being without fault," Aaravos murmured. "Do you remember that? Even your own father has his failings."

Callum furrowed his eyebrows suspiciously, "Even you?"

The elf laughed harshly. "Oh, yes. I have many."

XXX

Two Years Later

Aaravos watched Callum practice casting Sky Magic from a Primal Stone. "Who did you get that from?"

"I'm borrowing it from my friend, Claudia." Callum did not mind the silence his teacher had fallen into, continuing to cast.

Primal Stones. Humans could cast primal magic from Primal Stones. By could they not cast primal magic on their own? It was assumed that humans were simply incapable of casting primal magic. But didn't humans using Primal Stones challenge that idea? Were not elves unable to connect to other sources without being taught? What if it was the same for humans.

Additionally, humans might find it easier to connect to multiply sources than elves did.

These were an echo of thoughts he held long ago, before humans had latched onto Dark Magic.

Seeing Callum cast from a Primal Stone. . .it rekindled his hope.

There was still the matter of his revenge. But, what would his brethren and the dragons hate the most? Humans using Primal Magic. It would get rid of the main argument for human inferiority.

Besides, the best revenge was living well and taking over Xadia would be a chore. For the latter, what would he even be left doing for the next few thousand years? Ruling would get dull. He was decided. At the least, he should try to teach a human Primal Magic. If his experiment didn't pan out, he could still find a way out through the child when the boy was older.

II. Fortune

Callum had gone on a hunting trip. He came back to the Winter Lodge to find that Aaravos's worm had formed a cocoon in Callum's jar, attached to the stick inside. He watched it for days, until he grew bored, and only wished for the worm to come out so that he could talk to Aaravos again.

XXX

A butterfly lived in the castle. It was purple and silver in color. The butterfly went wherever it wished and avoided all attempts to catch it.

The only human it would get near to was Callum; the butterfly was often found on Callum's shoulder when the prince was alone.

XXX

"They call me step-prince," Callum confessed. He had his knees drawn up to his chest, chin pressed against his knees.

"Who?"

Callum seemed too deep in his thoughts to hear the elf's question. "They think I can't hear them for some. Soren, at least, says it to my face. He doesn't really mean it badly, I think; he just likes messing with me."

The elf's ears twitched, annoyed at being ignored. He calmly asked, "Why does it hurt?"

"Because it's true," Callum yelled. "The King isn't my dad, my dad died," he paused and quietly finished, ". . .like my mom." He wiped at his eyes before he could start to cry.

Something flickered in Aaravos's eyes. "Is family only through blood?" He questioned.

"No, but-"

"Then you are family." Aaravos held up a hand to stop Callum's immediate response. "And yes, you may never sit on the throne because of your birth father. But does that really matter to you?"

Callum stared listlessly at the ground. "No. I don't want to be King of Katolis. It hurts though, for people to. . . ." he trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

"Of course it hurts." Aaravos hesitated, seeming unsure. "Just remember, it doesn't matter what anyone calls you, you are still part of the Royal Family; and, they love you.

XXX

Piles of wax had started to form on the floor from where Callum had put his candles; he was scrubbing at the spots to remove them.

Aaravos was reading a book from his library. Every now and then he would turn a page or make a note on a piece of paper beside him.

Callum pried a disc of wax off the floor. He glanced at the elf. "Almay (Teacher), do you believe in destiny?"

"Startouch elves are not particularly fatalistic. Even the strongest river may be redirected. We do not see what is, we see what could be." Aaravos hesitated a moment and then closed his book.

"How do you know?"

"We are taught that the future is not set in stone because we learned that through the victory of the first Startouch Mages. Long ago, near the very beginning of the world, far before either of our times, they saw a great calamity; they managed to keep it from happening, and so saved Xadia from ruin." Aaravos gave a bitter smile as he opened his book again, "There have also been Mages who have caused the very things they sought to prevent due to being reckless and unprepared. Hopefully, that answers your question, Callum."

Callum wrinkled his nose slightly at the long lecture. "Yeah, I think I do. That's a 'complicated' for destiny. 'Cause trying to change things might just come back to bite you cause we can't really know for sure what's going to happen or what needs to happen for things to be different?"

Aaravos's lips twitched in amusement. "An adequate summary," he replied.

XXX

Aaravos was sitting at his desk. He drew one more stroke and deemed his copy of the drawing Callum had made of the room finished. His version of the drawing focused solely on the mirror, specifically the runes on it. He pulled another piece of paper over and started copying the runes in better detail.

Once he knew the runes being used on the mirror, he would hopefully have a better understanding of how it worked, where he was trapped, and what he could do to get out.

XXX

"I want to tell Ezran about you," Callum confessed. "I've been keeping this secret for so long."

"But?"

"But, I don't know if he'll be able to keep this secret. Same goes with Claudia. Soren? Definitely not." Callum looked at the elf, uncertain. "Would you be fine with that, me telling someone about you?"

"Callum, it is your choice." Aaravos nodded, "But, I agree, once your brother is older and more mature, then it might be the right time to tell him."

XXX

"Aspero." Callum blew and a small wind formed. He stared for a moment and then grinned. "I did it! I actually did it!" He yelled without fear of being discovered, for no one else ventured down here this far.

Aaravos couldn't help the catlike grin that spread across his own face. "You did. I'm proud of you."

Callum was barely keeping himself from jumping around the room at this point.

Aaravos let his apprentice's excitement continue for a while. He then sighed and ordered, "You can not show this to anyone."

Callum knit his eyebrows together and frowned in defiance, "Why?"

"It's never been done before. If anyone finds out a human can cast Primal Magic, it would upset the world's balance. The balance should be upset of course, but rushing it and doing it when you are too young to handle the weight would crush you. For your sake, you must wait. Do you understand, Callum?"

"Yes." Callum's tone was sullen and somber, a man unwilling to do something but knows that he must.

The elf smiled. "My name, is Aaravos."

The name sounded heavy; it was a boulder held up by a man struggling up a never ending hill; it was a mountain that could crush the unwary.

"I will begin teaching you the other Primal Sources tomorrow. For tonight, rest."

XXX

Callum started researching that morning. He sat in a dark corner of the Royal Library with a stack of old books.

There were large differences between the history books, but they had some common threads. Aaravos was the Archmage of Xadia, nicknamed the Midnight Star. He is only Startouch elf remembered by humans. He was known as a friend to humans and suspected of being the person who had gifted humans with Dark Magic, but it was never confirmed. He was able to use all six Primal Sources. In battle, he was, frankly, terrifying, as he could wipe out entire armies with a little effort. His fate after the Fall of Elarion was unknown.

Nothing, it seemed, had been a lie, which was a rather comforting realization.

XXX

"Callum! Callum! Are you here?" Ezran called.

The sound echoed through the empty tunnels.

"These tunnels are a bit creepy at night," Ezran commented to Bait.

The glowtoad seemed to nod.

Ezran stared into the darkness. Feeling uneasy, he turned to leave. He bumped into something, something that wasn't there before. He shrieked.

Bait croaked and flashed brightly.

"Ez, Bait, geez. Stop," Callum protested. He had an arm flung over his eyes to protect them.

"Callum? There you are." Ezran hugged his older brother's legs.

Callum kept blinking, trying to get his eyes to adjust. "Yeah, I'm here. Why are you down here Ez?"

"I wanted to see what you always sneak off to do after lessons and at night," Ezran brightly proclaimed.

"Do you know if anyone else has noticed?"

Ezran hummed in thought. He stopped hugging his older brother and fed Bait a jelly tart. "Anyone who does just thinks you're drawing stuff. But there's more to it, right?"

Callum scratched the back of his neck. "Ez, not to pop your bubble but I do come down here to draw. It's really peaceful."

"Oh. Okay."

Callum winced. He hated hearing Ezran sound so sad.

XXX

Claudia's eyes were wide with excitement. "How do you know so much about this, Callum?"

"Cause he's a nerd," Soren teased

"No," Callum immediately denied. He sighed, "I, uh, read about it in the library?"

"I knew it! Nerd."

Claudia shook her head at Soren. "Don't mind him. I think it's cool you know about the history of Xadia."

"Really?"

Claudia smiled. "Yeah."

XXX

"Dark Magic is seen as necessary," Aaravos explained. "And they do have a point, humans were driven to use Dark Magic because Primal Magic was thought closed to them. Now, it seems that the option was there but unknown."

Callum furrowed his eyebrows. "Why do elves and dragons see it as bad then?"

Aaravos paused for a moment before going back to sorting the books on a shelf. "It is seen as a perversion of nature. How wrong or right, or justified using Dark Magic is somewhat subjective."

Realization dawned in Callum's eyes. "But if humans can use Primal Magic, then we won't need to use Dark Magic."

Aaravos nodded and simply replied, "Yes."

"We could bring the humans, elves, and dragons together. Now!"

"Do not be so hasty," Aaravos warned, a serious tone slipping into his words that made Callum sit up straight. "What do you think will be the responses from each race? Worst case scenario."

"I don't know? Excitement?" Callum joked. He sighed and warily guessed, "I'd be a danger. No one really knows what I can do or how humans could learn to use Primal Magic."

Aaravos nodded, sliding two books onto the shelf. "Elves and dragons would see you as a weapon. Humans would also be afraid of you as there is no human who could really keep your power in check. Instead of ending the war, your reveal could very well keep the strife going for another hundred years."

"Well. . . That's horrible. This is going to be more complicated than I thought it was."

Aaravos's lips twitched at how dejected Callum sounded. "Yes, I've found that most things involving three hundred year conflicts usually are."

XXX

"I've never seen this secret tunnel before," Ezran said out-loud before he could think better of it. He clasped a hand over his mouth and crossed his fingers. He peeked around the corner only to see Callum right there.

"Are you following me, Ez?"

"Me? Follow you? Never." Ezran's eyes were widened in fake innocence.

Callum sighed. He put his hands on Ezran's shoulders and looked his little brother in the eyes. "I need you to promise me to keep this secret. It's really important, okay?"

Ezran nodded firmly. "Got it."

Callum smiled. "Good. Follow me."

The two princes wound through a series of hidden passages until they got to a hallway.

"Wait. I thought you said you came down here to draw?" Ezran asked, confused now that he was thinking about it. He followed his brother into one of the rooms.

Callum smiled mischievously. "Well, I never said I only came down here to draw." He took off a dusty sheet to reveal a mirror and sat on the cold stone.

Ezran put the lantern on the ground and sat beside his brother. He stared at what seemed to be another world contained inside the mirror.

They waited.

A figure came through one of the doors that could be seen in the mirror. A butterfly landed on Callum's shoulder.

"Good evening, Almay (Teacher)," Callum greeted.

Ezran spotted the lack of a fifth finger on the person's hand. He looked confused.

Good evening." Aaravos took off his hood to reveal his horns and face in full. He smiled. "It is a pleasure to meet you in person, Ezran."

It was an actual, living, breathing elf.

Ezran's mouth dropped open. "What?"

III. Freedom

"Where are you going?" A voice whispered in his ear.

Ezran spotted the butterfly. He held up his finger and the butterfly landed on it. "Just uh, going to get some fresh air. . .sir?"

"No need to call me sir." There was a flicker of amusement in the elf's voice.

"So what can I call you?" Ezran asked.

Aaravos mulled over the question for a while before replying, "As you are not my apprentice, Sayer (Star)."

"Cool," Ezran chirped. "I like your pet butterfly, Mr. Sayer (Star). Its very pretty."

"Thank you."

"Does it have a name?"

Aaravos seemed surprised. "Not really, but you may call it whatever you wish."

Ezran carefully cupped the butterfly in his hands and stared at it. "I'll name you Eric."

"Eric?" Aaravos questioned, tone carefully neutral. He never exactly understood humankind's naming conventions.

"What, it's a good name," Ezran defended, feeling a bit indignant.

"Alright. Eric it is." Aaravos sounded amused. The butterfly flapped its wings and landed on Ezran's shoulder. "You said you were getting some air. Is it a coincidence that you were walking towards the kitchen and not just going straight outside?"

Ezran laughed nervously. "Uh, yes? No?"

"I am well acquainted with the stories of you stealing jelly tarts." A mischievous tone entered Aaravos's voice.

Ezran guessed with a pout, "Callum ratted me out?"

"Yes, although I would not put it as 'ratting you out'. Your brother is simply rather fond of talking about you."

"He does?"

"All the time," Aaravos confirmed.

Ezran played with his hands, suddenly nervous. "Can I tell you some stories about him?"

"Of course."

Ezran soon found himself hiding in the vents, eating a jelly tart and quietly whispering to the butterfly on his shoulder.

XXX

About a Year Later

The Princes had discovered the egg of the Dragon Prince and had allied themselves with a Moonshadow elf assassin named Rayla to return the egg to the Dragon Queen.

Aaravos sounded skeptical. "End the war?"

"Yes!" Callum backtracked. "Okay, fine. It's not going to be the end of all of our issues. But it's a start. This can be the first step in the right direction that any race has had for centuries. The dragon egg being returned by both elves and humans?"

Aaaravos's eyes sharpened. "Elves? Who is with you?"

"I met Rayla, a Moonshadow elf assassin." Callum's stare was determined; he would not back down, even if he had to risk his life. "We're going to return the egg together."

"Be careful," Aaravos warned. His own eyes held a trace of something, something Callum couldn't identify.

"I know. I promise, Almay (Teacher). . . ." Callum's expression changed to a smile. "Maybe I can even find a way to free you while I'm in Xadia."

Aaravos smiled. "I will hold you to that," he warned.

"I want you to." Callum covered the mirror.

XXX

"Why didn't you have any questions about elves like Ezran did?" Rayla asked.

Callum couldn't really say: I found an elf that was locked away and he's been teaching me for years, but Ez only recently met him and so still doesn't know a lot. "Uhhh. I've read a lot about elves? Like old historical books that have survived, and they talk about elves a lot." He tried to not look at his satchel, where the jar that held Aaravos's butterfly was.

Rayla hummed but then nodded and moved on.

Callum let out a breath of relief.

XXX

Ezran had returned to be the King of Katolis. With his age and the problems of the time, such a position he was unprepared for.

He went to Aaravos for council. He used paper to write down his issues, and in some cases, draw out his frustrations with the Council and other human Kingdoms. After he got his annoyance out, he started plotting with Aaravos's help.

"I give up the throne and give my men who don't want to fight an out. But after, I'll just be in prison, right?"

Aaravos nodded. He wrote something and showed it to Ezran.

"You want me to bring your mirror with me to the Storm Spire?" Ezran scribbled down, 'How?"

Aaravos smiled. He picked up a book, opened it to certain page, and then showed it to Ezran. 

There were various runes on the page. The book was written by hand and seemed to be an encyclopedia of sorts. 

XXX

The phoenix, Fifi, soared through the sky, headed towards the Storm Spire. It was far less graceful than it should be, due to the heavy mirror tied to its back. Runes for invisibility and weight had been painted onto the cloth that covered the mirror.

Callum was already informed by Aaravos about coming to the Storm Spire. He met them at the bottom.

Fifi had died. But as a phoenix, she would soon be back. 

Without any other means of transport, Ezran persuaded the dragon they had saved from the humans a while back to help carry the mirror to the top of the mountain. 

The others—Soren, Zim, etc.—were inside. They were preparing and keeping watch over the sleeping dragon queen. 

The princes' most urgent preparation for the battle was trying to release Aaravos; the Archmage would be a great help in keeping the dragon royalty safe. They would explain things to their friends after. They had little time to do this and they didn't know how long it would take.

XXX

Callum did the ritual at the top of the Storm Spire. He mixed some of his blood with some type of elven ink; he used one of Zym's baby teeth—they were already falling out—to draw with the ink.

He followed the instructions of the butterfly in his ear. He modified the runes around the mirror and added more runes over the surface of the mirror. The mirror was like a window, it already had a connection to where Aaravos was stuck. The point was to utilize that connection and make the mirror a door.

"You have done a good job. Now finish this," the butterfly said in Callum's ear.

Callum stood and recited the words needed to activate the runes; the runes glowed red and then blue. He channeled the Sky arcanum into the runes, helped by the Sky Nexus he stood at the top of.

Aaravos placed a hand against the other side of the mirror. He pushed through and stepped out into the world he had longed to be part of once again. He called to the Primal Sources and they answered. The stars shone brighter to welcome their lost child. The sky churned in acknowledge, gathering storms and thunder above his head. The sun shifted in its bed and the moon gained a prideful look. The earth rumbled, a low growl of excitement at a new era. Aaravos felt full again, in the way someone who had not had food for weeks was suddenly at a banquet with the finest cuisine and told to eat all they could.

"Hi, Almay (Teacher)," was all Callum managed to say. His eyes slowly closed and he let go of the spell, exhausted.

Aaravos smiled at the greeting. He put a hand on Callum's shoulder, as otherwise the child would have hit his head on the stone floor. He considered what to do for a moment and then set Callum down off to the side, using his cloak to cover him.

He took this moment, not to continue enjoying the fresh air, but to smash a fist into the mirror that had been imprisoning him. He would not be imprisoned again, at least not there. To destroy the mirror with his bare hands was satisfying.

A glass shard cut into his knuckles; he picked it out and let it fall among the rest of the broken glass. Aaravos drew an Earth rune and muttered a word to heal his hand. This act did heal his hand, but did not get rid of the blood already running down his fist.

The ritual had also drawn attention from mortals, as it was heralded by the Sources above and below.

"Who are you?" Rayla demanded. Her knives were unsheathed and she was ready to fight, even if it was another elf.

Ezran was holding Zym. He was beaming at Aaravos. "Mr. Sayer (Star), you got out. Congrats."

"Thank you, Ezran," Aaravos smoothly replied. "Callum should be up in a few hours. He's just exhausted himself," he assured the boy and ignored Rayla.

Zym chirped, "Greetings, Great One." The Dragon Prince was young but he knew his manners.

Aaravos smiled and replied in dragontongue, "Greetings, Little Prince."

Soren skidded to a stop. Unlike the others, he had been at the bottom of the Spire and had to jog all the way up. "Woah, who's the new guy?" He asked. "Are you here to help us fight or. . .?" He had his hand on his sword, ready to draw it.

"Who are you?" Rayla repeated. She had her eyes on the unconscious Callum, still unconvinced as to the new arrival's intentions.

Aaravos tilted his head and looked at the motley crew. He saw: the human Princes of Katolis, that would soon be supported by a force from the human Kingdom of Duren; the Dragon Prince and a pride of dragons he and Ezran had brought together; the Moonshadow elf Rayla, and a force of Sunfire elves led by their Queen, Khessa. Humans, dragons, and elves working together. 

Such an odd thought coming to reality. 

Such an odd future.

"I am Aaravos, the Midnight Star and Archmage of the Startouch elves." He looked to the horizon, where the army of the human Kingdoms would soon appear; he smirked. "It would be my pleasure to help you."

**Author's Note:**

> A/N
> 
> This is an entirely indulgent, kind of crack taken seriously fic.
> 
> No romances here, just gen
> 
> If anyone wants to run with any of the ideas from this story, you're welcome to. Just please, hit me up so I can read it. :D
> 
> -Silver


End file.
